1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for automatically taking in smoke of rolled tobaccos such as cigarettes or cigars and analyzing the same, and more particularly to an automatic smoke analyzing apparatus which can change, light and extinguish the rolled tobaccos automatically so as to eliminate all manual operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Upon manufacturing and selling rolled tobaccos such as cigarettes or cigars, the contents of chemical substances in tobacco smoke such as nicotine and tar must be indicated.
Like other agricultural products, the chemical properties of tobacco leaves are not accurately uniform. It is necessary, therefore, to sample rolled tobaccos at a predetermined rate with respect to the total number of the manufactured rolled tobaccos, in order to take the smoke of the sampled rolled tobaccos in the tobacco-smoke analyzing apparatus and analyze their chemical substances. As the number of the manufactured rolled tobaccos increases, the number of the rolled tobaccos to be sampled also increases.
Rolled tobaccos such as cigarettes and cigars are held by holders in a plurality of smoke inlets formed in the tobacco-smoke analyzing apparatus (hereinafter referred to only as the "analyzing apparatus"). After the rolled tobaccos have been lit, air is sucked in the analyzing apparatus through the rolled tobaccos mounted in the smoke inlets at a predetermined pattern. In each holder is provided a Cambridge filter for collecting tar or the like. The smoke taken in the analyzing apparatus is analyzed by an analyzing unit so as to find the contents of other chemical substances in the smoke.
With the conventional analyzing apparatus, mounting of rolled tobaccos and holders, lighting and extinguishing of the rolled tobaccos and the removal of tobacco ashes or tobacco ends including cigarette butts or cigar ends have been performed manually. For a great number of rolled tobaccos to be analyzed, the same simple operation must be repeated for a long time. This adds inspecting burden to the inspector.
In order to overcome the problem, it has been demanded that the full operation of the analyzing apparatus be automated. Since, however, rolled tobaccos are likely to be broken easily, it has been difficult to automatically light the rolled tobaccos mounted in the smoke inlets and automatically extinguish the rolled tobaccos securely after they have burnt to a predetermined portion.